An earth where Arrow goes better
by Phillipe363
Summary: Cisco with his vibe powers looks into another earth where Arrow went better compared to what it is now. For example no Felicity or Olicty to ruin things, a Oliver who is not a wimp and hopefully better seasons.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys**

 **This is an idea I've had for a while with doing a full five season rewrite, 23 episodes long of Arrow. For one reason or another, I end up coming to grinding halt on doing that project.**

 **So, I decided to use a different method for doing a five seasons rewrite instead of months on a project that I end up losing interest in doing anyway.**

 **Plus, another thing I've learned is me being a writer I will always be going, what if this happened? Meaning consequently, with rewrites there's a part of me that will never be totally 100% satisfied.**

 **The ideas wouldn't leave me alone either so another reason this getting written.**

 **And this not a full rewrite of brand new plots but rather me improving or changing some things from the season material they already gave us.**

 **Don't own Arrow or anything Arrowverse related**

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Time Vault on Earth 1

Cisco closes breach on a nearby wall with turning to Gideon who is active.

"Ok, Gideon give me a readout for all the newly recorded information for that earth. I want to be sure I have everything, particularly regarding Oliver's life during his first ten years." Cisco said.

"Of course, Mr. Ramon. Beginning information read out now" Gideon said.

Gideon's face disappears to be replaced by various holographic screens of various videos and text information. Cisco begins reading the text information as he goes over certain information for this world.

First Oliver was not dating Laurel and cheating on her with Sara when the Queen's Gambit goes down. Oliver and Sara were in a relationship and Oliver was not a cheater, to begin with.

During the first two years of the island remained mostly the same except for a few differences. In the life raft, Robert gave Oliver his journal containing The List with mentioning they are the ones who failed Starling City as well before killing himself.

Slade Wilson's motivation to turn against Oliver was not due to loving Shado but rather feeling betrayed that Oliver didn't trust him enough to tell him why Shado died and trusting Sara over him. Like on usually most earths the Mirakuru didn't help matters any.

When Oliver got recused from The Amazo by ARGUS is when things truly began to change.

Instead of threatening the Yamashiro family, Amanda Waller threatens Oliver's own family to get him to work for her.

During Oliver's third year he spent a short amount time in Hong Kong, where Oliver grew into an assassin with becoming extremely skilled at torture and learning computer skills. By November 2010, Oliver got sent to Russia to deal with Konstantin Kovar alone.

Oliver ends up joining The Bratva, meets Talia, becomes The Hood with eventually killing Ishmael Gregor and Kovar like it happened on this earth. Once Oliver completes his assignment in Russia, Amanda has ARGUS place him back on Lian Yu where Oliver remains exiled for two years until getting recused by the fishing boat.

The events of Oliver's first year back remain mostly the same except for some differences. There is no love triangle between Oliver, Laurel, and Tommy because Oliver never dated Laurel before the Gambit sunk.

Felicity Smoak outside of showing up when Oliver went to her with Lawton's laptop is never involved with Oliver's life again and Walter uses somebody else to help him uncover Tempest.

Regarding Oliver and his tech skills he keeps those sharp and if gets in above his head has usually ARGUS or somebody else in his company to help. Sometimes Oliver and his team find another way around the problem instead of relying solely on computers to solve their problems.

Tommy discovers Oliver is The Hood, like he did on earth 1 and this naturally fractures with ultimately destroying Oliver and his friendship. Mostly from Tommy being lied to by Oliver along with believing Oliver to be nothing but a serial killer.

At the end of the first year, Tommy gets Laurel out of the CRNI when the second machine goes off and remains alive.

Moving onto the second year, Oliver gets brought back from his hiding away on Lian Yu by Diggle with eventually returning as The Hood. Also takes the Co-CEO role in Queen Consolidated to combat Isabel Rochev who was never on The List at all but still does lose the company to her.

Another thing is Oliver still sticks to taking out names on The List for either leaving them broke or in prison, if not usually both until sometime in Oliver's third year back where he finally crosses the last name off. Cisco notes that Oliver never really changes his dark methods of torturing or killing.

Some point during this year is when Tommy Merlyn leaves with his father who is alive. However, at the end of the year when Thea joins Malcolm to leave Starling City, he never reveals himself to his stepsister.

In events that are the same as Earth 1, Sara returns permanently to Starling after being released from the League of Assassins by Nyssa al Ghul and gets back together with Oliver.

Laurel during this year never has any drug or acholic problems and simply remains an ally for Team Arrow, especially once learning Oliver's secret. Laurel on this earth never becomes a vigilante or the next Black Canary.

Like the events of this earth, Sara goes back to the League of Assassins to get help to beat Deathstroke's Mirakuru army. However, Sara does not do a 180 thing of deciding she's nothing more than a killer and breaks up with Oliver.

Moira gets murdered by Slade Wilson and at the end of the year Oliver does not lock Slade Wilson up on Lian Yu but kills him.

At the start of Oliver's third year back is when things further change. Oliver manages to regain control of Queen Consolidated once more after Isabel's damage because after the company is involved in two terrorist attacks, nobody really wanted to buy it.

Oliver hires Walter Steel back into his old CEO role as Oliver takes a more back seat to focus on his other life.

A brainwashed Thea does attack Sara only Sara survives the attack with this starting a hunt for Malcolm early.

Like on this earth Oliver does end up facing Ras al Ghul on top of the mountain given his sister's life is threatened by the League of Assassins due to being Malcolm's daughter.

Ras kills Oliver with kicking him off the mountaintop and Nyssa recuses Oliver with using the Lazarus Pit to bring him back to life.

Eventually, Oliver makes his way back to Starling City where he suits up again to help defeat Danny Brickwell, and later when dealing with Zytle stood his ground against his team for his choices made. So unlike on this earth, Oliver regains control of his team once more.

Like on this earth Oliver does get offered by Ras al Ghul to become the next Ras and obviously declines. Also, Ras is not doing this out of some prophecy but rather merely since he thinks Oliver is a good choice.

Due to Quentin never getting lied to and Sara not being dead he did not pursue his mission of vengeance against Oliver or his team. However, a League of Assassins member undercover as the new police commissioner does begin a war against Team Arrow.

The events play out the same for Oliver turning himself in, only for Roy to take the fall and fake his death which the team lets Oliver in on what Roy's plan is unlike on earth 1.

Thea does end up getting attacked by Ras al Ghul and put into the hospital, near death.

Oliver goes to Nanda Parbat and agrees to become the next Ras al Ghul where Ras proceeds to stop the attacks on Starling City along with bringing Thea back to her full health.

The rest of the year pretty much plays out the same with Ras choosing to destroy Starling City with a bioweapon to kill Damien Darhk, Oliver having to pretend to be under the League's control before revealing himself in the plane. Team Arrow manages to stop the League of Assassin members carrying the bioweapon inside of them and Oliver kills Ras on the dam.

The next major changes come when Oliver kills Malcolm Merlyn at the end instead of giving him the Demon's ring, and instead gives the ring to Nyssa.

Also, Oliver never leaves Starling City instead chooses to stay around to protect it with taking on a new persona of the Green Arrow. Thea having donned a red suit based off Roy's becomes Artemis.

Months later at the start of the fourth year, Team Arrow is dealing with The Ghosts led by Damien Darhk. On this earth, Darhk obviously has no magic and does not want to nuke the world. Instead, Darhk wants to take over the US with starting in Starling City because of its strategical position with his plan being to turn the city into a no man's land.

Amanda Waller gets murdered by Darhk causing Lyla to become the next director with Diggle leaving Team Arrow to help Lyla lead ARGUS.

During this year is when Darhk kills Quentin in revenge for betraying him and Laurel becomes Team Arrow's new major police contact, with stepping into the role of DA.

At the start of this year, Oliver rips into Diggle and sets him straight after having enough of Diggle blaming him for kidnapping Lyla. Diggle proceeds to get his act together following that.

One major difference on this earth is Andy Diggle is still dead following Lawton killing him and is not a HIVE agent.

By the end of this year, Oliver with his team stops Darhk with killing him and shutting down HIVE for good.

Also, during this year there is no running for Mayor storyline since Oliver has no interest in doing so. He's got Queen Consolidated and that's enough for him.

Oliver asks Sara to marry him during this year and she accepts and by the end of the year, they have a small wedding following them defeating Darhk.

Something else is Starling City does not get a name change into Star City but instead remains the same.

Months later at the start of Oliver's fifth year home is when Prometheus shows up. A lot of the events remain the same with some differences such as there are no recruits so Team Arrow.

Early in the year Tommy returns to Starling City with starting to date Laurel again and tries to patch things up with Oliver. Though Oliver is cautious he still does extend him an olive branch.

However, the truth is eventually revealed Tommy is, in fact, Prometheus wanting revenge from everything from Oliver's first year home with a hatred that only increased since his father's death. Plus blaming him for nearly every single bad thing to happen to Starling City and Thea since Slade Wilson showed up.

Talia al Ghul is helping Tommy out and was the one to complete his training in revenge for Oliver killing Ras al Ghul.

Also, Diggle does not get framed by General Walker, but Walker still tries to sell a nuke causing Oliver with the team, and Diggle tagging along to Russia.

Oliver gets reunited with Anatoly but unlike on this earth quickly explains needing to stop Slade was behind his actions the second year back causing them to easily patch things up.

Tommy does end kidnapping Oliver with torturing him into believing himself to be a monster and a serial killer and for a time nearly succeeds in breaking Oliver. However, Oliver eventually snaps out of it with help from his friends and family.

Oliver does briefly suffer another setback when learning about his father killing a local councilman and covering it up but comes out of that too.

Forcing Tommy into drastic measures since he keeps being unable to break Oliver into committing suicide, resulting in Prometheus kidnapping Oliver's friends and family to Lian Yu for a final showdown.

Oliver working with Nyssa and Roy travel to the island where they manage to free Merlyn's captives. Oliver fought against Tommy with defeating him in combat and sadly being forced to kill him since Tommy can no longer be reasoned with.

Nyssa faced her sister but spared Talia while the rest of Sara, Diggle, Thea, Roy, and Laurel dealt with the members of Talia's organization.

Given Tommy is dead, and Talia locked up in ARGUS's specialized cell, Oliver with his friends and family return to Starling City.

Thea decides to leave with Roy since he's still legally dead, Diggle heads back to ARGUS, and Nyssa back to Nanda Parbat. Oliver with Laurel and Sara obviously continue protecting Starling City.

Cisco touches onto one of the one videos of Oliver and Sara on the balcony of The Loft bringing it up to full screen, and this one is after all the events of the end of year 5.

 _Oliver is standing there with his arms resting on the railing looking out at the city. Hearing footsteps Oliver glances over to Sara see walk up behind him as she stands alongside him._

 _"You want to know something strange?" Oliver asked._

 _"What?" Sara asked curiously._

 _"I'm happy" Oliver said, after a moment with a grin._

Cisco shuts the video off and is happy for his friend finding some actual happiness. Because there are plenty of earths where that doesn't happen.

"I've seen enough Gideon, close them down for now. I've got to go meet Barry and Caitlin for lunch, see you" Cisco said.

"Of course, Mr. Ramon. Enjoy your lunch" Gideon said before closing all the screens down.

Cisco nods with turning around and walking out.

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 **Hope you all enjoyed that. Let me know what you think in a review if you want**

 **Now where to start, I moved the A/N to a second chapter due to the length was just making this chapter far too long. So please go read that since it is kind of important for explaining a lot of the choices I made, in relation to what the show did.**


	2. Chapter 2 Author's Notes

So here is the special A/N chapter

First is not having Oliver cheat on Laurel with Sara or be a cheater in the first place. Oliver still was a playboy, he just didn't cheat on his girlfriends if he had one.

There is enough that party boy Oliver needed to get changed on the island and the cheating is kind of overkill.

Given how they obviously hate Oliver Queen on the show it wouldn't surprise me if they made Oliver cheat on Laurel with her sister all, so we could hate Oliver from the start. And that makes sense the more you think about it given how much they hate Oliver.

So, there are two main different ways that Sara could have been on the Gambit with one being as Oliver's girlfriend or on a college humanitarian project or something.

Which the third choice is Sara is on the Gambit since she's sleeping with Robert Queen which I have seen that with Olicty or Oliver/Laurel fics but I'm never using that one. Something that I know is done by people who hate Sara anyway.

Oliver getting the journal in the life raft and Robert explaining it to him is something they should have done in the show itself. Instead of dropping some hint in 1x11 about a video message, not knowing if you're even going to get there in the flashbacks.

Plus, it answers that question of how Oliver knows what The List and not making it overcomplicated.

Now onto the flashbacks themselves is Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg created the biggest problem with Arrow's flashbacks before they even started the show.

Which is doing five years of flashbacks in the first place since first you don't even know if you are going to get renewed for five seasons. And second, it's just rather stupid to extend them that long.

The biggest problem is like we've seen with the show is they've had to stretch Oliver's backstory out that made the flashback story suffer massively, like in season 3 and 4 especially.

So really, the writers should have done flashbacks for two seasons, three is pushing it and four at the max.

Of course, the show had to keep adding things in to cram into the flashbacks to justify their existence and the showrunners themselves they admitted did season 4's flashbacks out of habit.

In doing this I broke the flashbacks down to simply the first two years on the island and combined Oliver's time in ARGUS with the season 5 Russia storyline.

Really, they should have done Russia/The Bratva storyline in season 3 instead of Oliver running around doing useless crap.

Yeah, Oliver got shipped back to the island for the final two years alone in this, and therefore no flashbacks for seasons 4 and 5, but we don't need them.

For example, just look at The Flash show, they tried being Arrow for a few episodes with the flashbacks but got rid of them and only did flashbacks when need. That move improved the show instantly.

Another thing is the writers not having a planned-out backstory didn't help matters either when it came to the flashbacks for Oliver.

Obviously, in the Russia flashbacks, Oliver never does any skinning a man alive to set up some retcon and dumb "Oh he's really a serial killer" twist that they did.

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Moving onto the present day in season 1

I removed the whole Oliver, Tommy and Laurel love triangle melodrama crap that did none of the characters any favors, Laurel especially. Given it looked like Laurel was playing both Oliver and Tommy with not being able to make up her mind.

Not saying that is her character, to all the Laurel fanatics who want to bite my head off, but that is how Laurel ended up looking at times due to the writers.

Second is obviously Felicity only shows up in 1x03 and never appears again for the entirety of the series run like Felicity Smoak was originally supposed to do.

I wish that happened compared to the massive problems Felicity's continued presence in the Arrowverse has done, for reasons that I don't think need to be explained.

The major thing is I had Tommy survive to eventually end up leaving the show and comes back being Prometheus since his set up with a burning hatred of Oliver has already been established.

Something that they originally were setting Tommy up to be probably the next Dark Archer. Only by the writer's own admission admitted they fell in love with John Barrowman playing Malcolm and as we know they decided to kill Tommy off.

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Moving onto season 2

Now onto the biggest thing, Sara is this earth's version of the Black Canary and Laurel does not suit up.

Sara is an interesting and badass character, plus her relationship with Oliver was one of the better ones in the show as they understood each other on certain levels nobody else did. They have good chemistry too.

Basically, Sara is a good fit for being Black Canary if it's not going to be Laurel.

I also got rid of the dumb Laurel doing drugs storyline and had her eventual become Team Arrow's new main SCPD contact after Quentin's death, so it's not like she doesn't have a role.

Moving on for Slade Wilson's motivations for hating Oliver is me giving him a reason closer to Slade's actual character and less of the Shado thing. The loving Shado motivation is not the worst I've ever seen, but they could have done better.

Like we all know with Billy Wintergreen Slade does not take betrayal well so if he saw Oliver's actions as something similar, yeah Oliver is a dead man.

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Moving onto season 3

Obviously, Sara is still alive, and I changed it up a bit given Sara knows it is Thea who tried to kill her.

The biggest change I did was having Oliver brought back by the Lazarus Pit instead of some penicillin and tea which is just kind of dumb for the injures Oliver sustained, at Ras al Ghul's hands.

In this the Lazarus Pit's effects each person differently like in the comics so Oliver didn't really get affected at all to explain why Oliver would put his sister into the pit if he knew it could just makes things worse.

I wanted to make Ras a bit more agenda driven of he wants Oliver to be his heir out of his own choosing and not just from "Well some prophecy says so."

Naturally, no soap opera stuff that damaged this season since Oliver and Sara are still in a relationship with it just being a background thing.

Oliver killing off Malcolm is what he should have done in the season or at least Malcolm dying somehow. Malcolm's story was over by this point and he just became worse for staying around for the sole reason the writers didn't want to get rid of him in the following seasons.

Oliver giving the ring to Nyssa makes far more sense than honoring any deal he had with Malcolm who is a backstabbing, terrorist nut job.

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Moving onto season 4

There is the Lazarus Pit but all the rest of anything magic related including Darhk's powers is gone. Magic was one of the major things that made the show go massively downhill in season 4.

Arrow was very grounded even with like Mirakuru and the Lazarus Pit made it seem like these things could happen, and the tone can still be kept pretty much the same. When they brought magic in entirely that changed and not for the better.

Quentin was the one I chose for the coffin, but I know if I was doing this as a series I would have never done any stupid grave mystery plot.

Diggle finally leaving Team Arrow and helping Lyla at ARGUS is something I wish the show would do given how much Diggle has become dead weight.

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Moving onto season 5

Tommy as Prometheus just works far better then what the show gave us.

Now mind you I'm not criticizing the actor who plays Simon Morrison aka Adrian Chase aka Prometheus since he did a good job.

However, they decided to make him the son of a guy we never even heard of before until the flashbacks of 5x09.

Like, what you guys couldn't have at least made him the son of Leo Muller or one of the other people Oliver actually killed in season 1? That would have at least made the tie-in stronger.

Masking Tommy is Prometheus it just works better on various levels all around.

I just removed all the recruits and Oliver not even bothering to recruit them since they just are a massive drag on the show for multiple reasons and every single one of them are horrible characters anyway.

They have Team Arrow overstuffed with far too many people on it in the later seasons. This is supposed to be about Oliver Queen, not Arrow and all my friends.

(although the last part is ironic given none of them on the current team are Oliver's friends or even care about the guy)

So yeah, I just decided to remove that whole stupid mess.

Another thing is forcing Prometheus into a desperate last move to destroy Oliver with his friends and family.

Because one of the major things that bugs me to no end is how they Prometheus in the show so smart with playing everybody like literally all the way until his own suicide and made Oliver with the entirety of Team Arrow to be bumbling idiots.

By having Oliver keep beating Prometheus's attempts to break him it makes Oliver seem not just like some puppet getting played on the strings.

So, Oliver's line to Sara about being happy and what would be the final line of the episode, here's why.

From what I understand that line was originally supposed to be used at the end of season five when the plans were first drawn up, but since Guggenheim rushed Oliver's journey, it ended up being used in season three.

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Regarding the overall notes

I have Oliver keep using The List until season 3 since it always bothered me in the show how Oliver just kind of dropped that.

I get he was feeling massive guilt over Tommy and The Undertaking in the show, but Robert's journal was still filled with people who were harming the city and needed to be taken down.

The other major thing is Starling City remains as Starling City and does not get changed to Star City to match up to the comics.

Just because that would be like changing New York to Newer Hamster or something.

Plus, from a logical standpoint, of changing all the signs, phone books, T-shirts, college signs, SCPD badges and everything else you could possibly think of, would be a ridiculously near impossible task and somehow did all of that with the city under siege by The Ghosts? Yeah... zero sense.

Oliver has a mask in 1x01 instead of the greasepaint when we see him suited up for the first time. One reason is the domino mask just works better compared to grease paint.

Until next time guys


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